Research has shown that as American students progress through their educational journeys, their interest in science declines between elementary and middle school, which can spark a lack of interest in science in high school. Common factors include a lack of role models and mentors in science classes, low support from family and friends, a perception of science careers as difficult to attain, and unengaging science teaching methods. Although there has been a shift in K-12 science courses to provide more hands-on activities and participate in practical, everyday science, students are not exposed to the activities that scientists actually use in the field to collect data. Citizen science (CS) is a way for natural science researchers to engage the public and students by having participants collect and submit data for scientific projects. Researchers benefit by acquiring data on a larger scale than may be feasible for a research team to collect and public participants benefit by increasing their science literacy and developing critical thinking. CS has grown in popularity as part of formal youth science and environmental education. The researchers in this study measured the effectiveness and impact of a classroom-based CS program called The Hummingbird Project (HBP) on three key learning factors: science identity, nature connectedness, and content knowledge.
The HBP is a classroom-based CS project designed by scientists geared toward 6th to 10th grade students in Oregon to collect and submit data on Rufous and Anna's Hummingbirds and the way these birds use feeders. The data is used to help the National Science Foundation understand the way forest habitat loss affects these hummingbird populations. As part of the program, educators are trained on each aspect of the project and are provided ideas on incorporating the project into effective lesson plans. At the beginning of the academic term, a trained undergraduate educator presents the HBP to the classroom and covers the basics of the project, the purpose, and how the data will be used by scientists. The students also learn how to make hummingbird feeders and how to collect data. Typically, the HBP lasts about two months for each class. Like the HBP, CS in general has three key learning outcomes: 1) develop science identity, which refers to the sense of self a student has with science; 2) deepen nature connectedness, which is the level of oneness a student feels with nature; and, 3) increase content knowledge, or the amount of understanding a student has with the topic.
The study took place between March and June in 2016. Seven science teachers from suburban schools in Oregon distributed pre- and post-test surveys to their students in March and June. The teachers returned the completed pre- and post-test surveys to the researchers from 367 students. The students ranged in age between 11- and 17-years-old (6th to 10th grades). The pre-tests, which were administered prior to a presentation about hummingbirds and before the students participated in the HBP, included questions about content knowledge, science identity, nature connectedness, and engagement in nature-related activities. Knowledge was assessed with 10 multiple-choice questions about topics related to hummingbirds such as their migratory patterns and diets. Science identity was measured through 23 questions about students' self-identification as a science person, the usefulness of science, and the student's interest in science. Nature connectedness was assessed using the Children's Environmental Perceptions Scale (CEPS), which had 16 questions that students would rank on a 5-point scale from strongly disagree to strongly agree. Specifically, the CEPS measured eco-affinity, the intention to engage in environmentally-friendly behaviors, and eco-awareness, the understanding of environmental issues to eco-system sustainability. Lastly, the frequency with which the students engaged in nature-related activities was measured by a 5-point scale from never to very often in a 10-question section on the pre-test. After the presentation and subsequent participation in the HBP, students were given the post-test survey which included the content knowledge, science identity, and CEPS sections along with five evaluation questions about the program and five questions about their feelings toward the data they collected being used by scientists. The survey results were then analyzed by the researchers.
Overall, the researchers found science identity in students slightly decreased, and there was no change in nature connectedness because of the HBP. However, content knowledge scores increased between the pre- and post-tests. Regarding the student evaluation of the HBP, roughly half felt it was fun and enjoyed watching the birds at the feeders while the other half did not feel the program was fun nor did they enjoy observing birds at feeders. The majority of students learned more about hummingbirds through classroom lessons as opposed to their observations. Most students reported knowing that the data they collected would be useful to scientists, and this had a neutral to positive effect on the students' perceptions of and motivation for the project. Despite this, only a fifth of the students felt this experience could help them become scientists. The results also showed that despite all students learning from their teachers, the educators' teaching style or implementation of the material differed and impacted the level of increase in content knowledge among students. For example, a middle school physics teacher did not adapt the HBP content in any special way and those students demonstrated the highest increase in content knowledge. The researchers concluded CS project designers and teachers should expect increased content knowledge in students as part of the program, but science identity and nature connectedness may be impacted differently, particularly for projects focused on data collection.
There were limitations in this study, and the results are not generalizable. There was a small sample size of teachers in this study, and not all educators, teaching styles, talents, motivations, and school environments were represented. The researchers also had no control on how the teachers implemented the HBP in their classrooms, so there was variability in student experience. The researchers acknowledged they did not have a control group in which to compare the results of the study.
The results of this study showed the CS projects did not increase attitudes about science, the number of students interested in pursuing science careers, or belief in participants of themselves to accurately perform science. To this point, the researchers recommended CS programs should be intentionally designed and regularly evaluated for intended effects and areas of improvement. Overall, CS in the classroom can benefit student knowledge on the topic and engage students in a different way of learning, but CS alone may not motivate students to be more interested in science or pursue science careers.
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